The Fake Republicans in the Senate Screwed Us and the Fake Republicans in the House Are Complaining They Didn't Screw Us Enough
—Ace
Here's how our liberal "Republican" Senators screwed us on the Big Bloated Bill:
Changes to phase-outs of clean energy tax credits in the bill remained central to the final hours of debate among Republicans, as hard-line conservatives have called for strict, swift cuts and more centrist lawmakers pushed for extended wind-downs to avoid major market and investment disruptions.The now-passed Senate bill includes steep cuts for these tax credits, ending incentives for wind and solar projects placed in service, meaning operational and plugged into the grid, by the end of 2027.
Moderates were able to squeeze in a carve-out allowing projects that begin construction less than one year after the bill is enacted to claim the credit. Any projects that start construction after that time frame must be operational and in service by 2027 to be eligible.
This is a fake cut: they have rigged these "cuts" so that no money will be cut at all.
Alex Epstein @AlexEpsteinSenate fails to terminate Green New Scam
The Senate bill *looks like* it has a 2027 "placed in service" cutoff for new solar/wind subsidies.
But one last-minute paragraph makes it worthless--because projects making a recoverable 5% investment in the next 12 months are exempt!
The idea of a 2027 "placed in service" cutoff was that new subsidies would actually end during the Trump administration.
But under the last-minute carveout, Big Green has 12 months to initiate as many subsidized projects as it wants using the insanely-easy-to-meet "construction" threshold. (All you need to do is commit 5% of expected project cost to buying re-sellable assets like solar panels.)
Once they declare "construction"--e.g., in July 2026--they'll have 4 years (e.g., July 2030) to "place in service." And then some of those projects, e.g., most wind projects, will get 10 years of subsidies.
So we'll still have wind subsidies on Donald Trump's 94th birthday!
Here's how much worse the Senate bill just got:
* Two days ago: "Placed in service" by 12-31-27--with new subsidized solar/wind projects stopping very quickly, and Trump being able to let subsidies truly end.
* Today: "Placed in service" by JULY 2030--with new subsidized solar/wind projects absolutely spamming the rid and ripping off taxpayers like never before, and Trump having no control over whether the subsidies end.
The current Senate bill is arguably worse than the original Senate Finance one. At least that bill decreased solar/wind subsidies starting in 2026 to 60%. The current bill just increased them to 100%.
The current bill is a solar/wind lobbyist's dream. It does not terminate the Green New Scam in any way, shape or form. It absolutely perpetuates it. And offensively so, I might add, by keeping the "placed in service" cutoff language so many people courageously fought for, then totally undoing it with a single last-minute paragraph that makes it worthless.
If the Senate wanted to extend the Green New Scam it should have said so, not insulted our intelligence by trying to bury the extension in one sneaky little paragraph.
PS Several Senators have already told me they didn't know about or understand this last-minute paragraph. If that's the case they should do whatever they can to fix the situation.
An unnamed Republican congressman sounds off about the "shit sandwich" the Senate RINOs are trying to force on the House.
But unfortunately he's not calling for more cuts, but for fewer. He objects to the Senate cutting Medicaid.
Reese Gorman @reesejgormanVibe check in the House from one GOP member:
"The Senate took a bill that had a year's worth of work in it - and in a month turned it into a shit sandwich. They're trying to jam the House, because they think they're this sacred body. In reality they're sending back a bill that members of my Congress can't defend because they don't understand Medicaid like they need to."
The Hill talks about the Medicaid cuts in the Senate version of the Big Bloated Bill.
Senate Republicans on Tuesday passed the largest cuts to Medicaid since the program began in the 1960s, a move that would erode the social safety net and cause a spike in the number of uninsured Americans over the next decade.The tax and spending bill is projected to cost more than $3 trillion during that time, but it would be partially paid for with about $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid.
Almost 12 million lower-income Americans would lose their health insurance by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
It still needs to pass the House again, where some moderate Republicans have expressed concerns about the cuts.
The Washington Examiner's fact check says that Medicaid isn't being cut, only the rate of growth is being slowed. But it does impose work requirements on able-bodied adults without children who were allowed to enroll in Medicaid by Obama.
Senate Republicans are defending their changes to federal Medicaid spending in their final push to pass President Donald Trump's budget reconciliation bill before Independence Day, arguing that the bill does not technically cut the health insurance program for disabled and low-income people.Republican leadership has insisted for weeks that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is not primarily a healthcare reform package, but reductions in Medicaid spending have been a crucial piece to recoup some of the costs from the sweeping tax cuts that take center stage in the legislation.
...
Democrats have waged a multimonth campaign against what Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has called the "big ugly betrayal" by saying that the bill will decimate coverage for low-income people.
...
"We are fiscally making Medicaid more sound," Marshall said. "It's only in Washington, D.C., that you increase spending at a rate faster than inflation and you call it a cut."
Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) posted on X on Sunday evening that Medicaid spending has increased by more than 200% since 2008 and by roughly 51% since 2019, largely due to increases in enrollment from the Medicaid expansion population of able-bodied adults without dependents.
The Congressional Budget Office's projected federal spending on Medicaid and Obamacare increased by $1.9 trillion, increasing 25% from 2021 to 2025, according to conservative think tank the Paragon Health Institute.
Robing Rudowitz, vice president at the healthcare think tank KFF and Medicaid policy specialist, told the Washington Examiner that the CBO's analysis of the most up-to-date version of the bill "will reduce federal Medicaid spending over the next ten years by about $1 trillion relative to expected federal spending without the legislation."
Much of the spending cuts come from imposing work requirements on able-bodied adults without dependents and changing federal reimbursement rates for the Medicaid expansion population.
Medicaid eligibility was extended to able-bodied adults without dependents under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, better known as Obamacare.
No wonder that craven RINO congressman spoke anonymously, and to the left-leaning The Hill.
Unrelated: What's a Cuck Chair?
What's a cuck chair? You might have seen the term online, often in jokes about hotel rooms. But is there more to it?A "cuck chair" is a slang term for a chair facing a bed, linked to the idea of passivity. The word "cuck" comes from "cuckold," an old term for a man with an unfaithful wife.
In this post, you'll learn the history behind the term, its cultural impact, and why the meme continues to spread.
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The term "cuck chair" has an unusual yet fascinating history, deeply rooted in language evolution, cultural shifts, and internet meme culture. While it may seem like a recent phenomenon, its origins trace back centuries to the words "cuck" and "cuckold."...
In contemporary online debates, the term often symbolizes perceived emasculation or powerlessness, particularly in discussions surrounding masculinity and vulnerability. This usage appears frequently in social media, forums, and satirical commentary.
Design Features of a Cuck ChairTraditional Design
Historically, cuck chairs were designed for practicality and affordability, often found in homes of the less affluent. Their defining characteristics include:
Armless Design A simple structure without armrests, making it easier to move and reposition.
Low-Seated Typically sits lower than standard chairs, emphasizing a subtle, passive seating posture.
Portable & Lightweight Designed for convenience rather than comfort, allowing for easy relocation.
You'll want it light so you can move it to the closet at your convenience.
These features made cuck chairs affordable and functional. They were often used as secondary seating, not meant for extended relaxation but rather temporary use in different settings.
Kristi Noem: We Are Investigating CNN for Promoting an App That Allows Radicals and Criminals to Track Indivdual ICE Agents' Movements
—Ace
The Democrat-Media Party's browshirts are attacking ICE agents and posting pictures of their family members along with threats to harm them, and CNN decides to advertise an app that allows antifa, trantifa, and assorted other criminals to track them.
Wesley Hunt @WesleyHuntTXIs CNN pushing an app that helps DOXX ICE agents in real time?!
The app "ICEBLOCK" tracks the movements of federal agents and has the potential to put their lives at risk, and CNN is running a "story," on it.
Will Apple and Google keep this in their app stores?
Will Congress act as fast to ban this as they did with TikTok?
Because if exposing American law enforcement to danger doesn't raise red flags, what will?
Continue reading
Poll: Thomas Massie Would Lose to a Republican Challenger?
—Ace
Thomas Massie votes against all spending bills because he wants to be able to fundraise off of that questionable honor.
And now Trump and Musk are on opposite sides of Massie's reelection. Musk wants the House to vote against the Big Bloated Bill, and Trump wants them to vote in favor of it.
Musk says he will support Massie if he's primaried:
Tesla CEO and former Trump administration special employee Elon Musk says he'll back Rep. Thomas Massie in his 2026 primary race after President Donald Trump vowed to fund a primary challenger for the Kentucky Republican."Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame! And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth," Musk, who led the administration's Department of Government Efficiency, posted Monday on X.
Former Michigan GOP Rep. Justin Amash replied to Musk, asking whether he'd support Massie after he came out against Trump's "big beautiful bill" over concerns of it adding to the deficit.
"I will," Musk responsded.
Trump is highlighting a new poll showing that Massie is on thin ice.
Not just for the budget dispute, but for opposing Trump's strike on Iran.
Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie is losing support among Republican primary voters in his own district, a new Kaplan Strategies poll shows. He now trails challenger Nicole Lee Ethington as voters turn on him for opposing major parts of President Trump's agenda.Key Details:
Only 19% of likely GOP voters in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District say they would vote to reelect Massie no matter who challenges him -- a number that drops to 14% if Trump endorses an opponent.
In a head-to-head matchup, Massie trails Ethington 31% to 19%, with a majority of voters still undecided.
Massie's unfavorable rating stands at 62%, while Trump's favorability among respondents hits 89%.
Diving Deeper:
Congressman Thomas Massie is entering his 2026 reelection bid with little margin for error, according to a new poll from Kaplan Strategies released Monday. The poll, conducted June 23--24 among 368 likely Republican primary voters in Kentucky's 4th District, shows Massie lagging well behind challenger Nicole Lee Ethington in early support -- and facing sharp disapproval over several key votes.
Ethington, a registered nurse, currently leads Massie 31% to 19% in a hypothetical primary matchup. A significant 50% of voters remain undecided, but the underlying numbers signal deep dissatisfaction with Massie's record. Just 23% of respondents view him favorably, compared to a commanding 62% who view him unfavorably. President Donald Trump, by contrast, enjoys 89% favorability in the same poll -- and a Trump endorsement would drop Massie's support to just 14%.
The poll highlights a growing rift between Massie's libertarian-leaning approach and the prevailing MAGA sentiment in the GOP base. According to Kaplan Strategies, large majorities of voters expressed concern with Massie's past votes:
72% say they're less likely to support him because he opposed Trump's tax cuts and budget,
69% disapprove of his vote against the Take it Down Act, which would criminalize deepfake revenge porn,
58% are less likely to vote for him due to his opposition to Trump's pro-Israel policy stance.
Hey, it's a slow news day. Give me a break. I've got to put up anything close to newsy.
Trump Tours "Alligator Alcatraz;" Agrees to Let DeSantis Deputize National Guardsmen as Immigration Judges to Speed Up Deportations
—Ace
The left is always complaining that we need judges to handle the huge wave of illegal third-world immigration they encourage.
Okay, how about National Guard soldiers sworn in to be immigration judges?
This is the kind of innovation in government I'm looking for.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would approve Florida's plan to expedite deportations by having qualified National Guard members work as immigration judges.Trump made the announcement during his visit to a new state-run immigration detention center in South Florida dubbed Alligator Alcatraz.
For months now, Gov. Ron DeSantis has sought the approval of the federal government to deputize Florida National Guard Judge Advocate General Corps. officers to act as immigration judges.
On Tuesday, Trump said he is in favor of the plan.
"He didn't even have to ask me. He has my approval," Trump said during a roundtable discussion at the immigration detention center in the Everglades.
DeSantis on Monday said having the National Guard work as immigration judges on site at the detention center could fast-track deportations.
On Tuesday, DeSantis said his goal was to cut through "bureaucracy."
Because the detention center is built on an old airstrip, DeSantis and others have also said it will speed up the deportation process by allowing the federal government to fly migrants out of the site.
Attorney General James Uthmeier, who was instrumental in the detention center's planning, said on social media Tuesday that it was a "one stop shop for immigration enforcement."
"Come in, get your 'process,' and fly out," Uthmeier said.
I love it. Unfortunately he's not talking about just making thousands of National Guardsmen judges, just Guardsman in the judge advocate corps. Lawyers, then.
Continue reading
Jaguar's Sales Drop by 97.5% After Bizarre Gender-Blender Rebranding Campaign
—Ace
Congratulations, Jaguar. You took your brand, which had been associated with prestige, achievement, and masculinity, and turned it into the Drag Queen Story Hour of automobiles.
Here was there disastrous ad, if you've banished it from your memory:
Continue reading
Big Unbeautiful Bill Passes Senate with Vance's Tie-Breaking Vote
—Ace
It now moves back to the House, which will either vote for it or add amendments.
Nick Sortor @nicksortor
BREAKING: Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill has officially PASSED the U.S. Senate, with JD Vance breaking the tieIt now heads back to the House for a vote on the changes made.
It COULD still hit Trump's desk by July 4th.
Continue reading
The Morning Rant: Minimalist Edition
—CBD
American Exceptionalism! What a grand and glorious thing...driven by (among other things) the self selection of exactly who comes here. Until fairly recently it was incredibly difficult just to arrive on our shores. Weeks or months-long voyages with no guarantee that one would survive the trip, only to arrive in America and have to fend for one's self. No immigrant support system for 16th (or 17th or 18th or 19th or even 20th) century arrivals!
And imagine the decision to leave Bavaria or Prussia or Ireland or Holland or Sweden or Poland or Russia Italy or any of the other sclerotic and rigid countries that sent its most adventurous and brave citizens to our shores. Nothing was sure for these people; it was a great unknown, they knew it would be incredibly difficult, yet they did it!
And the result is the greatest country in the history of the world. Sure, there are places with better discrete things. Mass transit is one: I'll take the London underground or the Paris Metro any day over the NYC or San Francisco or Chicago transit systems. And European trains are great! French and Italian food? Ooh la la! The list goes on and on, but add them all up, and what do you get? Because you have to consider everything, not just the good stuff in Europe and the rest of the developed world. Count everything, like our incredible physical beauty, and amazing room for everything, and our freedom to do whatever the hell we want, which is buttressed by our flawed but still amazing Constitution, not to mention big washing machines and great air conditioning and big cars and endless vistas and huge houses and great barbecue and an absolutely incredible ethos that makes the low trust societies of most countries on earth a miserable and pale and diminished reflection of us.
The United States of America is the greatest country in the world! Yet there are many among us who see this wonderful place as irredeemably broken, and a place to sneer at and mock and yes...hate.
What happened to the Democrats of America? Are they so coddled and soft and unappreciative that they despise the very thing that created the conditions necessary for them to be free to have their vile opinions? Only 36% of them are proud of their country? Have they finally been co-opted by the progressives in their midst who fervently desire a socialist hell hole in place of America? Has the never-ending drumbeat of denigration of America coming from off our shores finally taken effect? Has the long march through our institutions that was designed to destroy the concept of American Exceptionalism among our youth finally bearing fruit for the socialists?
The answer of course is: Yes to all!
But the next question is: what can we do about it?
I think that the Trump administration's efforts to hold Harvard University accountable for teaching the very things that lead to Democrat hatred of America is a powerful broadside in defense of American Exceptionalism, and it is hopefully the first of many such efforts.
The Department of Defense is doing a huge amount to destroy the post-modern malaise that has infected our armed forces, and a rejuvenated and vigorous armed forces is a valuable counterweight to hatred of country.
The Department of State, led by the impressive Marco Rubio has shifted the onus of legal entrance into America onto those who wish to come here. If they break the rules, their visas are withdrawn! No more visitors who preach against us.
The Justice Department, in fits and starts, is attacking the premise of that twisted, culture-destroying lunacy of transexualism. No boys competing with girls!
That is a snapshot of what the government is doing, but there is much more to be done, and it must be done by all of us. Love of country is not passive, it is an active part of life, and must be pursued lest it wither.
Is your local high school flying the gay flag alongside the American flag? Go complain at a school board meeting. Does your workplace have a flag pole? If not, suggest one that flies our flag...proudly. Does your idiot 2nd cousin jabber during Thanksgiving dinner about the evils of white supremacist America? Give him a gentle lesson in reality. Write letters to your local paper, shop at businesses that support America, and tell the ones that don't why they aren't getting your money.
There are so many things that we can do to defend America from those who would tear it down. Maybe you can't do all of them, but perhaps you can do one of them...every day...every week...every month!
Being proud of America isn't difficult; there is so much to be proud of!
[Crossposted at CutJibNewsletter and X/Twitter] And the Apple and Spotify feeds for CJN's podcast should be working!
PS. Some of you might be aware that long-time commenter "Jay Guevara" passed away recently. In addition to his erudite comments on a wide range of topics, including his profession as a professor of chemistry and later in the private sector, he contributed to AoSHQ as an Open Blogger on the general topic of "Science Isn't Dead, But It Is Ailing."
I had the pleasure of meeting him and his charming wife, and we had many discussions over the years about pretty much everything, including his lifelong attachment to baseball, both as a player (he played organized ball for most of his life) and as a knowledgeable fan. He also joined me and J.J. Sefton on our podcast a couple of times. He was a polymath, with the insatiable curiosity of someone who is fascinated by the world. In our conversations I could always count on his rigorous and logical perspective, and it was a joy!
He leaves his wife and son, about whom he bragged and bragged!
He will be missed.
Mid-Morning Art Thread
—CBD
The Venetians
Ernest Meissonier
There might be something worth zooming in on...
The Morning Report — 7/ 1 /25
—J.J. Sefton
Good morning kids. Evidently some severe thunderstorms really fouled up air travel at key airports up and down the east coast yesterday, well into the evening.
So, given the spate of air incidents earlier this year on top of what I imagine standard operating procedures for air traffic control in the event of severe weather might be, I can see how the dominoes can cascade. But still, after how many decades of global air travel, you'd think we'd have a handle on this by now, so that the impact would've been kept to a minimum. Or given the volume of air traffic today, perhaps what happened yesterday was the minimum.
For some reason, one of the better websites AmericanGreatness dot com which features such notable authors as Victor Davis Hanson as well as Larry Sand who covers the education beat, is down. If anyone has a line to the editors there, see if you can suss out what's going on and shoot me an e-mail. Hopefully they'll be back up soon.
Meanwhile, as I wrote about yesterday and had suspected would be the case, we still have no definitive explanation for why this maniac set a wildfire and then gunned down two firefighters in cold blood who responded to the scene. Somewhere, there is a Venn diagram perhaps with Transexual, Muslim, Climate Change stooge, Anti-Ice/open borders terrorist, Trump-hater, or bog-standard off-the-shelf Pyromaniac. And so the convergence point is the biggest question mark of all.
It happens every time there's a high-profile crime. Law enforcement officials, in collusion with social media companies, surreptitiously disable the social media profiles of suspects, leaving Americans in the dark about their motives and political leanings.The question is why. And who benefits?
The most recent example is Wess Roley, 20, who is accused of starting a fire in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, on Sunday so he could ambush first responders. Two firefighters died in the attack, and a third was critically wounded. Roley was later found dead on Canfield Mountain. It's not clear whether his gunshot wound was self-inflicted or the result of a firefight with police. The Kootenai Sheriff's office, as per usual when these things happen, has not released a motive in the shooting.
Also, as per usual, his social media profiles have been scrubbed. The gatekeepers have decided that the public will not see his posts unless and until they decide to release them. Most likely, that won't happen until they are forced to release the files as the result of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. That could take months, or even years.
Frankly, all things considered as to what's been happening in this nation since the 2020 summer of love mostly peaceful rioting and incineration of American cities and towns, law enforcement had best figure out whether they're with us or with the terrorists. Because things are on a knife edge.
Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons says left-wing activists are targeting ICE agents, with some going after agents’ families, including their children.In a video posted to X on Monday, Lyons revealed that ICE and the United States Secret Service tracked down one particular activist who had been targeting the children of ICE agents online.
“Wouldn’t you wear a mask if it kept your family safe, if it kept your kids safe? We ran an operation with the Secret Service,” Lyons said. “We arrested someone who was going online, taking [ICE agents’] photos, posting their families, their kids’ Instagrams, their kids’ Facebooks, and targeting them. So let me ask, is that the issue here that anyone is upset with masks, or is anyone upset that an ICE officer’s families were labeled terrorists?”
Given the past 10 years of blood-libeling President Trump as literally Hitler, and the MAGA movement as the Nazi party, and of Trump-supporters as white supremacist racists wherein ICE will soon be rounding up anyone and everyone to not only deport illegal aliens but actual citizens for being of the wrong political persuasion. That rhetoric comes not just from the fringe lunatic base but from the highest echelons of the Democrat Party, it's propagandists in the legacy media and in schools and universities across the country, is it any wonder that police, ICE and random citizens who march in support of Israel have been the targets of not merely verbal abuse but of physical violence. The latter, an 81 year-old Holocaust survivor succumbed after being severely burned by an Egyptian illegal alien who hurled a molotov cocktail at her and other Jews in Boulder CO.
Putting the Islam element aside for a moment, Leftists have the same moral conviction that they are the defenders of freedom and righteousness and are being targeted by the forces of darkness and evil, and so have the right an indeed moral obligation to use deadly force to defend themselves and defend their perverse worldview by any means necessary.
All that said, this is how the civil society collapses and how things like political death squads appear. From there, the road to civil war and worse, Rwanda and Pol Pot, is clear.
Unless the funders, and the organizers of such groups as Antifa, La Raza, BLM, CAIR and all the rest are crushed by every legal means at our disposal, we are in for a world of hurt that will make 2020 and what's been happening in LA and elsewhere over the past few weeks back look like a picnic.
All we need is for an ICE agent(s) to get the notion to dox a few of these miscreants and "Take Care of Business" beforehand and Bingo. Not that I am encouraging that or wishing for it, because the aftermath is too horrific to contemplate. But if these guys think their kids are in the crosshairs, they'll either retire and move (which in and of itself was what the BLM defund the police movement sought to do as a means to dismantle law enforcement without necessarily firing a shot, by disincentivizing being a cop as a profession in the first place) . . or they will take matters into their own hands if they feel they do not have the backing of their political leadership. And in far too many places, the blue shithole cities and states, this is certainly the case.
While the Democrat party mayoral primary in New York is stealing the headlines, those who have watched Marxist-Hegelian hybrid ideology overtake the party since the 1960s could have predicted this outcome.Democrat voters in New York City have chosen Zohran Mamdani as their mayoral candidate. He is an avowed socialist Islamist who has never held a real job, gratuitously tosses around promises of giving away almost everything for free, has publicly stated his determination to defund the police, campaigned on tax-payer funding of “gender-affirming care,” and who vociferously defends all illegal immigrants, including those convicted of heinous crimes, from deportation.
Mamdani wants to empty the jails in New York, claiming that violence is an artificial construction. His commitment to socialist ideals is informed by his Islamic faith, which includes his refusal to retract or apologize for trafficking in incendiary antisemitic language such as “globalize the intifada” for over a decade in a city with two million Jews, second only to Tel Aviv.
Of course, Mamdani won't abolish the NYPD. Meh, maybe he'll do just that?! But you can just imagine the kind of individuals who will make up their ranks once the sane ones have fled or are forced out. Worse, those who remain and will "just follow orders" to preserve protect and defend their pensions.
And lastly, a quick shout-out and thank you for your continued support in hitting our tip jar. It truly is appreciated more than you can know.
Have a great day!
- ABOVE THE FOLD, BREAKING, NOTEWORTHY
- The thunderstorm stops had a domino effect, beginning with delays at Philadelphia International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport before spreading to others, trailing up and down the East Coast.
Ground stops at JFK, LGA and Newark cause thousands of flight delays at airports up and down the East Coast - “Wouldn’t you wear a mask if it kept your family safe, if it kept your kids safe? We ran an operation with the Secret Service,” Lyons said. “We arrested someone who was going online, taking [ICE agents’] photos, posting their families, their kids’ Instagrams, their kids’ Facebooks, and targeting them. So let me ask, is that the issue here that anyone is upset with masks, or is anyone upset that an ICE officer’s families were labeled terrorists?”
ICE Chief Says Left-Wing Activists Are Targeting the Children of ICE Agents
Continue reading
Daily Tech News 1 July 2025
—Pixy Misa
Top Story- Why AI is not useful for programming. (Ordep)
Because writing code was never the problem. Anyone can write code if you don't care whether it works. Even an AI.
And even if it works, it is almost certain to make the overall system more complicated than the value it adds. Keeping a complex system manageable as you add more features is the real battle.
And AI is still at the stage of selling refrigerated tungsten cubes in its snack bar because one guy jokingly requested that.
Continue reading
Monday Overnight Open Thread - June 30, 2025 [Doof]
—Open Blogger
Elevated railroad bridge - Cape Cod Canal
Howdy Hordelings! Thanks for ending your Monday - and the month of June - here with us at the ONT. How are you feeling with 2025 now halfway over? Is it all you expected it to be? Got any predictions for the rest of the year? Share your thoughts in the comments - along with whatever else is on your mind. Let's step on in!
Continue reading
No Emus Is Good Emus Cafe
—Ace
Dog packing for his vacation.
After a long day, it's time to hit the couch.
Cat keeps her truckdriver dad company while on the road.
Dogs saying "I love you." Some of them get very close. We're on the edge of a Scooby Cascade.
Dogs are excited for the pizza delivery.
I suppose you're all wondering why I summoned you here today.
Orangutan has mastered human juicebox technology.
White guys parody the highly theatrical way that Indians prepare and serve street hot dogs.
Border collies are doing the jobs humans just won't do.
Bear takes her cubs out for a walk. Surprisingly under-control.
Ostrich shows off his sexy moves.
Steve Inman:
Woman throws a shoe at an ostrich and finds out the reason for that old saying, "Never throw a shoe at an ostrich."
Continue reading
Quick Hits
—Ace
Liberal "male" reporters are just ugly, poorly-dressed girls:
WSJ: Rumors of the death of the American economy and stock markets have been greatly exaggerated. By us liberals, mostly.
A historic and tumultuous quarter is wrapping up with U.S. stocks at records and many investors betting the ride isn't over yet.The April swoon that carried the S&P 500 to the brink of a bear market has been erased and then some. The broad index has now added more than 8% since President Trump announced sweeping tariffs that sparked havoc in markets.
Now, investors have more reasons to feel upbeat. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite Index hit fresh all-time highs on Friday. Robust corporate earnings and solid economic data suggest that growth remains resilient. Inflation is trending near the Federal Reserve's 2% target. Banks that slashed their year-end targets for the S&P 500, such as JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, are raising them again.
The DOJ has formally found Harvard in violation of federal civil rights law, and instructs it to either bring itself into compliance with federal law immediately or lose all federal funding.
Ed Morrissey, with quotes from the WSJ:
In a letter sent to Harvard President Alan Garber on Monday and viewed by The Wall Street Journal, attorneys for the administration said the investigation found that Harvard knew Jewish and Israeli students felt threatened on its campus and acted with deliberate indifference.The DoJ offered Harvard to explore the Hillsdale College option to avoid any further consequences for its failure to abide by Title VI. If not, the DoJ warns, the direction of the next lawsuit will get inverted and Harvard may have more legal trouble than it bargained for:
"Failure to institute adequate changes immediately will result in the loss of all federal financial resources and continue to affect Harvard's relationship with the federal government," the letter states. "Harvard may of course continue to operate free of federal privileges, and perhaps such an opportunity will spur a commitment to excellence that will help Harvard thrive once again."Harvard didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
A formal "notice of violation" of civil-rights law generally is a step that can come before either a lawsuit from the Justice Department or a voluntary resolution with the school. Under past presidential administrations, civil-rights investigations at universities usually ended with voluntary resolution agreements.
This finding not only complicates any efforts to restore funding that has already been cut off, it disqualifies Harvard from any further access to federal funds. They have three options, none of which are going to be pleasant for Garber under the circumstances. They could go the Hillsdale College route and eschew any federal funding to remain completely independent, as the DoJ letter suggests, but Hillsdale built their financial model with that policy in mind. Harvard's business model entirely depends on federal subsidies and grants. They would have to pare down their offerings significantly to compete in the marketplace against schools that comply with the law and still have access to those federal funds.
Law schools usually offer prestigious slots on the school's law review based on grades and a blindly-graded writing sample.
This is therefore a pure meritocracy -- which makes DEI types hate it.
Duke Law found a work-around for rules against racial discrimination, though: They sent minorities and minorities only an email telling them that while they cannot just mark each application by race so they can make sure they give minorities the slots and take them from the White Devils, if the minorities just let them know in their writing samples that they are minorities, they'll grade those writing samples more charitably and get them spots on the law review they're not qualified for based on objective criteria.
At the end of finals period each May, the Duke Law Journal hosts a two-week-long competition to select its next crop of editors. Applicants write a 12-page memo, or casenote, analyzing an appellate court decision, as well as a 500-word essay about what they would "contribute" to the journal.Students are chosen based on their grades, casenotes, and personal statements. Less than 20 percent of the class makes it onto the law review, which is overseen by Duke Law School and has no legal existence apart from it.
To help students prepare for the competition, the journal circulates a guide on how to write the casenote. Last year, however, it decided to give some students an additional document.
In a packet prepared for the law school's affinity groups [that is, its race and sexuality-based exclusionary clubs], the journal instructed minority students to highlight their race and gender as part of their personal statements--and revealed that they would earn extra points for doing so.
The packet, obtained exclusively by the Washington Free Beacon, included the rubric used to evaluate the personal statements. Applicants can earn up to 10 points for explaining how their "membership in an underrepresented group" will "lend itself to ... promoting diverse voices," and an additional 3-5 points if they "hold a leadership position in an affinity group."
To drive home the point, the packet included four examples of personal statements that had gotten students on the law review. Three of those statements referenced race in the first sentence, with one student boasting that, "[a]s an Asian-American woman and a daughter of immigrants, I am afforded with different perspectives, experiences, and privileges."
A fourth student waited until the last paragraph to disclose that she was "a Middle Eastern Jewish woman," an "intersectional identity" she said would "prove useful" in a "collaborative environment."
"As a woman," the student wrote, "and a woman with Middle Eastern heritage, I also understand of [sic] the importance of presenting a solid work product and building credibility."
The packet was only distributed to the affinity groups, according to a person familiar with the matter, which meant that minority students had access to inside information about the scoring process. The journal explicitly told those groups not to share the packet with other students, according to messages reviewed by the Free Beacon, and indicated on the first page that it had been made for affinity groups.
When the Supreme Court banned affirmative action in 2023, it said that colleges and universities could not use essays as a Trojan horse for racial preferences. The documents from Duke illustrate how a top law review has skirted that directive, creating a points-based system that foregrounds race and could put the law school in legal jeopardy.
"This is clearly illegal," said David Bernstein, a professor of constitutional law at George Mason University. "They're using the personal statement as a proxy for race."
Harmeet Dillon, head of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, weighs in:
Harmeet K. Dhillon @HarmeetKDhillonNot good
An 82-year-old woman, set afire in Boulder last month by a crazed Egyptian illegal alien for the crime of being Jewish, has succumbed to her horrific injuries and died.
Yashar Ali @yasharDENVER (AP) -- An 82-year-old Colorado woman who was injured in a Molotov cocktail attack on demonstrators in support of Israeli hostages this month has died, according to court documents filed Monday.
Todd Richman @toddrichmanThis is what the phrase Globalize the Intifada means @ZohranKMamdani, but G0D forbid you condemn it. Also your chants of AntiZionism is not AntiSemitism is a danger to our community. May Karen's memory be a blessing....
He knows what it means. They all do. They're terrorists.
Zohran is also repeating the communist mantra of "seizing the means of production," taken straight from Marx: "Our end goal is seizing the means of production."
The left is insisting No You Bigots This Doesn't Akshually Mean He's a Communist.
Bonchie @bonchieredstate
"We can't hold Zohran Mamdani accountable for the things he said when he was 30 because he was just young."The dude is 33.
att Taibbi @mtaibbiFor people asking the difference between Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani, I don't recall Bernie talking about "seizing the means of production."
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State Department Revokes Visa for Immigrant British Rapper Who Chanted "Death Death to the IDF" at BBC-Broadcasted Music Festival
—Ace
He had all the rich white twats in attendance -- tickets are 390 pounds -- chanting it too.
The State Department announced Monday that it revoked visas for a British rap group after it called for the death of Israeli soldiers onstage over the weekend.Members of the Bob Vylan band no longer can travel to the U.S. "in light of their hateful tirade ... including leading the crowd in death chants" at a Saturday music festival in the U.K., Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said in a Monday X post. The State Department's action aligns with the Trump administration's policy of renewed scrutiny of foreigners' visas over alleged hostility toward American values or national security.
"Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country," Landau said.
Bob Vylan did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation. The group was scheduled to perform in the U.S. during a music tour that begins in October, The Standard reported.
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"Thousands" of Migrant Children Trafficked Into Forced Child Prostitution Under Stutterin' Joe Biden Are Now Being Rescued by ICE
—Ace
Why do all the things the Democrat Media tells us never happen keep happening?
"Thousands" of migrant children who disappeared after being smuggled across the US-Mexico border under the Biden administration have been rescued from grim fates such as being sex-trafficked to pedophiles, according to border czar Tom Homan -- who revealed that a 14-year-old pregnant girl was found living with adult men just two weeks ago.In the latest episode of Miranda Devine's "Pod Force One" podcast, Homan said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have also located minors who were forced into servitude on ranches and chicken farms, as the agency searches for hundreds of thousands of migrant children unaccounted for during President Joe Biden's four-year illegal alien invasion.
"There were 300,000 missing children under the last administration," said Homan. "We've found thousands of them ... We rescued victims of sex trafficking [and] two weeks ago, we rescued a 14-year-old that was already pregnant, living with adult men ...
"We rescued some victims of forced labor. We found children working on ranches and chicken farms, not going to school, but enslaved labor in the United States of America ...
A few weeks ago a Maryland Man was arrested for raping the teenaged illegal alien girl that Biden placed her with. He immediately forced her into sex. But the important thing is, she got to remain in America while being raped every day.
"Some of the children we found [were] perfectly fine with their families ... They just didn't respond to call-ins [because they] didn't want to face the consequences of immigration court."
The number of unaccompanied alien children [UACs] entering the US surged to record levels under Biden, as changes to border enforcement policies incentivized families and smugglers to send minors to America.
More than 500,000 children were recorded entering the country and were placed with sponsors while awaiting immigration proceedings.
A report last August from the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General found that the Biden administration lost track of hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied children and placed some with potentially dangerous sponsors who had not been adequately vetted.
More than 31,000 addresses provided by sponsors turned out to be "blank, undeliverable, or missing apartment numbers," the inspector general reported. At one location, "sponsor addresses were incorrect 80 percent of the time."
ICE officers at one field office also told the inspector general that thousands of migrant children had been released to sponsors "who are not immediate family and are not a parent, sibling, or grandparent."
HHS released more than 14,500 migrant children in 2023 and more than 9,600 in 2024 "to unrelated sponsors" or distant relatives.
...
Homan told "Pod Force One" that the Biden administration rushed the vetting process to avoid the "optics" of overcrowding at the border.
"They didn't care about the invasion itself; it was the optics."
DNA tests were routinely used during the first Trump administration to verify that an adult accompanying a child really was the parent, he said, but the Biden administration abandoned that policy.
Homan said in some of the DNA testing "as high as 30 percent [of] the families weren't families. Not relatives at all. The [children] were being trafficked...
"A lot of parents paid a smuggling organization to bring their kids [over the border]. Some of these children were trafficked. We know HSI [Homeland Security Investigations] had several investigations where a child was rented by the criminal cartel to an adult male or female, crossed the border [and] when you're done, you send the kid back [and] re-rent them."Homan had harsh words for Democrat politicians like Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) who he said are "screaming and yelling about ICE arresting people and ICE enforcing the law. Meanwhile, in four years under Biden ... sex trafficking of women and children skyrocketed, not a word."
"Thousands of children were being smuggled into the country every week. Over half a million children were smuggled into the United States. Separated from their families, put into the hands of criminal cartels... not a word."
@BillMelugin_ BREAKING: DHS has announced it is terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than half a million Haitians in the U.S., arguing that conditions in Haiti have improved enough for them to return home, and allowing the Haitians to remain is contrary to the national interest of the U.S.TPS for these Haitians will expire on 8/3/2025 and the termination will take effect on 9/2/2025, effectively giving the Haitians a little more than 2 months to leave the country or find another form of relief or legal status.
DHS statement:
"This decision restores integrity in our immigration system and ensures that Temporary Protective Status is actually temporary," said a DHS spokesperson. "The environmental situation in Haiti has improved enough that it is safe for Haitian citizens to return home. We encourage these individuals to take advantage of the Department's resources in returning to Haiti, which can be arranged through the CBP Home app. Haitian nationals may pursue lawful status through other immigration benefit requests, if eligible."
An ICE raid on a meatpacking plant resulted in 76 arrests of illegals. Some illegals were using stolen social security numbers, casting some doubt on the claim that they're Mostly Lawful.
In Nebraska, the state's largest worksite immigration raid sent a chilling effect across the city of Omaha this month when federal immigration authorities arrested 76 employees of a meatpacking plant.About a dozen of them have already been deported or transferred to out-of-state custody. Sixty-three others remain in immigration custody at the Lincoln County Detention Center in Nebraska.
Federal authorities accuse the workers of using stolen identities from U.S. citizens to unlawfully gain employment at Glenn Valley Foods, a meatpacking plant that has been processing boxed beef for more than 15 years.
The Center for Immigrant Refugee and Advancement, an immigrant rights organization in Omaha, provided legal consultations to most of them.
Anne Wurth, the group's associate legal director, told NBC News they are "honest, hardworking individuals in our community" who have also been victims of an immigration system that "does not provide enough pathways" to remain in the country legally.
"That's not true," said Elhrick Cerdan, the assistant special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Nebraska, who led the enforcement operation at Glenn Valley Foods.
In an interview, Cerdan rejected "this narrative that these hardworking illegal immigrants were just doing their daily job and trying to earn wages."
"They were stealing the identities of over a hundred U.S. citizens," Cerdan said.
Seven people have been charged in connection with the events surrounding the raid at Glenn Valley Foods. Only one of them faces charges of using someone else's Social Security number, court records showed as of Wednesday.
"That number could change," Cerdan said, because the investigation continues.
Four protesters, including two U.S. citizens who worked at the plant, face charges accusing them of jumping on law enforcement vehicles as they escorted detainees out of the facility, according to court records.
A Honduran national was charged with resisting arrest and displaying a box cutter when agents tried to apprehend him. A Mexican national is charged with unlawful re-entry into the United States. An employee who was arrested was charged with false representation of a Social Security number.
Mostly Lawful, Mostly Peaceful.
Meanwhile, the "Alligator Alcatraz" for illegal aliens will open tomorrow in a Florida swamp.
The facility will hold 3000 illegals. DeSantis says he needs it because there are so many illegal alien criminals and he needs the jailspace for domestic offenders.
He had it built in a literal alligator-infested swamp in just a week.
The left is crying alligator tears:
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Politico: Kamala Harris Is Reaching Out to Democrat Leaders About a Bid for California Governor But "No One Is Incredibly Pumped"
—Ace
Well I am. I bet most of you guys are too.
I want to hear more about what can be (jazz hand high left) unburdened by what has been (jazz hand low right).
But we're not the people Politico is talking about.
They're talking about Democrat donors not wanting to give her their money.
Kamala Harris is ramping up her outreach to longtime supporters as she weighs a run for California governor. But many Democratic donors aren't enthusiastic, still hobbled by the hangover of her presidential loss.Some party funders have privately shared that ambivalence with each other as Harris has embarked on a quiet schedule of thank you visits, catch-up calls and listening sessions, touching base with her most trusted supporters as she weighs her options. The former vice president has tasked aides with exploring several paths, including not just a campaign for political office but also a philanthropic venture.
Let me translate: What she really wants is to create a donation-sucking grift machine like Hillary Clinton did which will provide her with a salary, a floor of offices, a hired car and multiple drivers, and the illusion of prestige and influence.
But if she can't have that, her back-up plan is running for governor and maybe losing. And worse, maybe winning.
In other words: this is a threat. Set me up with a Clinton Foundation style grift, or I'll run for office, and I just might win and finish killing off the dying state.
In interviews, several major donors in the state told POLITICO they fear her reemergence as a candidate would re-open still-fresh wounds from her defeat in 2024. Some harbor lingering frustration about how her billion-dollar campaign juggernaut ended in debt and want assurances she would have a clear plan to win the governor's mansion. Others are impatient for Harris to start publicly making her case for why she'd want the job."There was more enthusiasm at first," said Mather Martin, a San Francisco-based fundraiser who has worked for past Harris campaigns. "I think it waned a bit."
One California Democrat who contributed six-figures to her presidential bid said a Harris candidacy would only serve as a reminder of how "traumatizing" the last election was.
"Kamala just reminds you we are in this complete shit storm. With Biden, we got bamboozled ... I think she did the best she could in that situation, but obviously she knew about the cognitive decline too," the donor said. "I've written so many checks because I knew the Trump administration would be horrible, but we're living in a nightmare because of the Democrats. I'm furious at them, truly."
Close Harris allies acknowledge the sting of Harris' failed White House bid has not fully dissipated among the donor class...
While still considering all her options, including running for president again, Harris' focus has been skewed toward a 2026 gubernatorial bid, since that is the most immediate decision to be made, according to a person close to her. The former vice president, who can be painstakingly deliberative, has been steadily collecting input and opinions from her allies to weigh the pros and cons of seeking her home state's top gig.
As Mark Halperin always says, Kamala Harris simply does not like making decisions. And here she is again, unsure of what she should do. Instead of deciding for herself, she's asking other people to choose for her.
He pointed out that Democrat donors are going to be even less inclined to donate to her due to her unable to decide if she even wants to be governor. It shows she lacks "fire in the belly" for the position.
...
Donors "realize it's just going to bring up the whole pathetic last presidential, which no one wants to hear about again. And then it's the whole 'Did you know Joe Biden?' thing," said one Southern California fundraiser who was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations. "She still would probably lead, but honestly, no one is incredibly pumped."
Harris has yet to weigh in on the topic which has roiled her party, even as Antonio Villaraigosa, a fellow Democrat who is running for governor, has accused her of being complicit in a cover-up. Even some of her supporters are antsy for her to address the issue head-on, believing she'll have to swiftly dispense with that question before she can make a positive case for her candidacy.
Others in the finance world say that so long as Harris plays coy about her plans, she's giving little for would-be supporters to rally around.
"It's very fair to say there's not an overwhelming clamor" for her candidacy, said Scott Drexel, a Bay Area-based donor adviser who works with individuals, labor groups and businesses. "It's very hard for there to be one if it's not 100 percent clear if she really wants to do it."
So she is weighing three possibilities: Running for governor, which she plainly does not want to do, running for president which maybe she wants to do but it's silly, or her real preference, starting a Clinton-like "foundation" to grift money and get paid a high salary and granted expensive billionaire-class perks (like a 24-hour a day chauffeur) while pretending to administer what is claimed to be a "charity."
She won't get that, either. Hillary Clinton was able to get her grift funded because donors were paying for her to be a candidate-in-waiting. The Clinton Foundation was a grift to make sure all of Hillary's top people had jobs so they'd stay with her rather than defecting to other Democrats.
Kamala Harris is not going to be supported by donors to be a candidate-in-waiting.
Polling shows that Kamala Harris is in second place in the race to be the Democrat presidential nominee.
First place goes to... Pete Bootyjudge.
Not only has Kamala Kollapsed in the latest poll of 2028 Democrat contenders, no one's excited about her potential run for California governor.And now we come to the poll... A poll that must have Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio going full bro with the high fives...
Failed former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg: 16 percent
Failed 2024 presidential contender Kamala Harris: 13 percent
Failed Gov. Gavin Newsom: 12 percent
Too Jewish-for-Antisemitic-Democrat-Party Gov. Josh Shapiro: 7 percent
Alexandria Ocasio-Crazy: 7 percent
Sanders also gets 5%.
That leaves 35 percent undecided.
So is Buttigieg the front-runner? The political "top," if you will?
Well, check out his big hole that needs filling:
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#Winning: Inflation Rises More Slowly, Gas Prices Fall, and the Markets Hit All-Time Records
A European Economist Admits: "Maybe Trump Has Outsmarted All of Us"
—Ace
The markets soared to record highs on Friday, despite the "predictions" (or partisan rooting interest) of the liberal establishment.
Part of the rally is due to falling, get this, inflation.
U.S. markets surged to fresh record highs Friday as investors responded positively to a trio of developments: easing inflation, the formal end of the Iran-Israel war, and progress on President Trump's tax legislation in Congress.Key Details:
The S&P 500 closed at a record 6,173.07, with the Dow and Nasdaq also finishing at all-time highs, fueled by strength in tech, energy, and industrial sectors.
New inflation data showed core PCE rose just 0.2% in May, with annual core inflation at 2.7%--supporting Trump's argument that tariffs haven't reignited price pressures.
A U.S.-brokered peace deal officially ended hostilities between Israel and Iran, removing a key global risk and driving oil prices sharply lower.Diving Deeper:
Wall Street ended the week on a high note Friday, with all three major indexes closing at record levels amid a cascade of favorable developments for the Trump White House and the broader U.S. economy.
The S&P 500 rose 0.52% to 6,173.07, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite followed suit, hitting new peaks. The gains came despite a midday dip sparked by President Trump's announcement that trade negotiations with Canada had been terminated. Markets quickly shrugged off the news, rallying strongly into the close.
Fueling the optimism was the release of new inflation data showing that prices are rising more slowly than anticipated, even after the administration's aggressive use of tariffs. The core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index--a key inflation gauge favored by the Federal Reserve--ticked up just 0.2% in May. On an annual basis, core prices rose 2.7%, while the headline rate stood at 2.3%. Notably, consumer inflation expectations also dropped, with one prominent sentiment survey showing the expected one-year rate falling from 6.6% to 5%.
...
As the week closed, the prevailing mood on Wall Street was one of optimism. With inflation cooling, global tensions easing, and economic policy advancing, traders are increasingly betting on a supportive environment for markets heading into the second half of the year.
Gas prices will fall to their lowest level in years for summer driving season.
According to Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, gas prices are likely on track to reach their lowest levels in several years. If current trends continue, Americans could see the national average dip below $3 per gallon by September."This is shaping up to be the cheapest summer since 2021," De Haan said, referencing the COVID-era market conditions that temporarily deflated demand and prices.
Although gas prices ticked up in early June due to the Israel-Iran conflict, the ceasefire between the two nations has helped stabilize global oil markets. That stabilization, De Haan says, should allow for a "slow decline" in prices through the remainder of the summer.
A world-renowned economist has changed his tune on President Donald Trump's tariffs.Torsten Sløk, a chief economist at Apollo Global Management, posted a new note admitting that his initial reaction to the policy may have been wrong.
'Maybe the administration has outsmarted all of us,' he wrote.
The admission comes just months after Sløk warned the tariffs would be 'painful' and economically destabilizing.
Experts speaking to DailyMail.com warned that Americans should take his note with a grain of salt.
But now, he's framing the President's policy as a clever long-game -- one that invites global negotiation while increasing federal revenue.
In the note, Sløk outlined a potential scenario: the White House could maintain its current tariff rates -- 10 percent on most imports, 30 percent on Chinese goods -- and give trade partners a year to negotiate with the White House.
Extending the current 90-day pause on new tariffs, he argued, would give American companies time to plan ahead and could help stabilize markets.
'This would seem like a victory for the world and yet would produce $400 billion of annual revenue for US taxpayers,' he added.
The timing is key. Trump's 90-day pause on new tariffs, announced in April, is set to expire on July 9.
Without an extension, the tariffs would immediately increase, with billions of dollars worth of products suddenly incurring more taxes.
But if the President extends the pause but keeps tariffs where they are, Sløk says the policy could offer clarity for companies and leverage in negotiations.
Sløk's sudden, tepid support for the tariffs is an about-face. He initially criticized the import taxes, saying they threatened business stability, Wall Street's record highs, and the stability of US treasury bonds.
I love when Europeans tell us that tariffs will cause the US inflation and harm our economy while all the European nations have stiff tariffs to keep out US goods because they believe the tariffs help their economies.
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Canada Surrenders to Daddy Trump on Tax on Tech Services
—Ace
Canada decided to join the EU in punishing US tech firms because they're mad that Elon Musk allows free speech.
President Donald Trump announced Friday he is ending trade talks with Canada over the northern neighbor's decision to impose a digital service tax on American technology companies.Trump called Canada's decision "a direct and blatant attack on our Country" in a Truth Social post.
"They are obviously copying the European Union, which has done the same thing, and is currently under discussion with us, also. Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately," Trump also wrote.
Canada is reportedly going ahead with the tax despite its inclusion in the Group of Seven (G7) agreement in which President Trump agreed to remove Section 899, also known as the revenge tax proposal, from his "Big Beautiful" tax bill, according to Bloomberg.
The tax will require digital services companies like Meta to pay 3 percent of the digital services revenue they make on Canadian users above 20 million Canadian dollars ($14.6 million) in a calendar year, according to Bloomberg.
Canada's tax will apply retroactively to 2022 and the country's Finance Department says the first payments will be due from digital companies Monday, Bloomberg reported.
Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne hinted that the tax may be a potential piece of leverage in trade negotiations.
"Obviously all of that is something that we're considering as part of broader discussions that you may have," he told Bloomberg.
Trump concluded his Truth Social post with indications that the U.S. will retaliate.
"We will let Canada know the Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States of America within the next seven day period," he wrote.
Industry leaders applauded Trump's move.
"This tax unfairly singles out American firms while local competitors skate by. Whether it's Brussels or Ottawa, President Trump is right to call them out and force this to change," John Czwartacki, co-founder and principal at Public Policy Solutions said in a statement provided to the Daily Caller.
I'm no fan of the social media companies but this is all about pressuring them to censor American citizens.
Canada is now groveling like a totall-cucked nation.
Canada's government announced Sunday it will cancel a controversial tax on U.S. tech giants, prompting the resumption of trade negotiations with President Trump. The decision follows Trump's warning that Canada would face steep duties for what he called a "blatant attack" on American firms.Key Details:
Prime Minister Mark Carney personally informed President Trump of the decision to withdraw the digital services tax during a Sunday conversation.
Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne also reengaged with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer the same day.
The tax, set to take effect Monday, was expected to cost American companies like Amazon, Google, and Apple over $2.7 billion due to its retroactive structure.Diving Deeper:
Just two days after President Trump abruptly suspended bilateral trade talks over a digital tax targeting U.S. tech firms, Canada's government has backed down. First reported by the Wall Street Journal, Prime Minister Mark Carney's office announced that the controversial 3 percent digital services tax would be scrapped. The reversal marks a significant win for the Trump administration and clears the way for trade discussions to resume.
"Big Beautiful (?) Bill" Passes Cloture Vote, Now In "Vote-a-Rama" Phase for Amendments
—Ace
The Democrats are proposing dozens and dozens of amendments just to delay the final vote.
The Senate launched the vote-a-rama after wrapping up debate on Sunday night, with Republicans prepared to defend and strengthen Trump's signature legislation. The bill extends the Trump tax cuts, reforms federal programs like Medicaid, and includes work requirements designed to restore accountability. Republicans, led by Lindsey Graham and Mike Crapo, pushed back hard against Democrat attacks, calling out Washington gimmicks and defending the bill as a pro-growth, pro-taxpayer package.Diving Deeper:
After a lengthy debate that stretched from Sunday into early Monday, the Senate entered the final stage before a full vote on President Trump's "big, beautiful bill." The legislation, which aims to lock in key tax cuts, implement long-overdue reforms, and rein in federal waste, now faces a barrage of amendments in what's known as a vote-a-rama.
Senate Republicans are holding the line as Democrats attempt to derail the package with endless amendments designed to stall and sabotage. The bill is expected to deliver sweeping benefits to working families, small businesses, and American taxpayers, while restoring integrity to programs like Medicaid by enforcing work requirements and ending abuse.
Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., strongly defended the reforms to Medicaid, a program that exploded in size after Obamacare enticed states to expand it to working-age adults with no disabilities. "It's a good thing for the individual to be working. It's a good thing for the taxpayer," Graham noted. "But that seems to be a crime on the other side."
While most Republicans are united behind the bill, a handful have expressed concerns. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., opposed a procedural vote Saturday night, citing different objections.
Trump threatened to primary RINO Thom Tillis. Tillis responded hours later by announcing he would not be running for reelection, which I believe was already decided. Because Trump was going to primary him either way, and he was going to lose.
Lara Trump, who polls say would win the seat in the general election if she's nominated, says she's "strongly considering" a run.
Lara Trump is "strongly considering" a run for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, according to sources close to the Trump family. Her potential bid follows Sen. Thom Tillis' announcement that he will not seek reelection after opposing President Trump's signature legislative package.Key Details:
Two sources, speaking to NOTUS and NBC News respectively, said Lara Trump is giving the Senate race "serious" thought, with one describing the chances as "high."
Tillis, who recently clashed with President Trump over the "Big Beautiful Bill," confirmed his retirement Sunday.
Lara Trump, 42, is a Wilmington native and a former co-chair of the RNC, where she oversaw fundraising efforts and convention planning.
THE MORNING RANT: President Trump’s Use of Military Power - If We Have to Break It, We Aren't Going to Buy It
—Buck Throckmorton
Our political class has repeatedly told us that the only allowable “solutions” to pressing problems are alternatives not embraced by the majority of Americans. That is why we finally turned to Donald Trump. Just one example was the border crisis – Democrats argued for mass amnesty and a wide-open border, while establishment Republicans countered by also proposing mass amnesty with a slightly less porous border. Trump laughed in all their faces, shut the border, and started deporting criminal aliens.
In the matter of foreign military engagement, we have also been presented just two bad options over the past few decades.
1) Massive military commitment to foreign wars, including nation building and boots on the ground in perpetuity, all with an endless airlift of fallen troops being flown home to Dover AFB.
2) Pacifism, with the U.S. never unleashing its military might, even where it is appropriate.
There is another much better option, which President Trump just demonstrated – the use of our military to destroy what needs destroying, and then leaving the mess as a lesson. If Iran attempts to rebuild its nuclear program in coming years, we can bust it all up again. We don’t have to occupy Iran or pretend that it will become a western democracy. It can figure out whatever it wants to become, but if Iran restarts its nuclear program or exports terror again, it can also face our wrath again.
I have been waiting for the U.S. to strike against Iran for more than 45 years. The lost wars of the Bush-Cheney era have driven home the futility of trying to impose democracy on those not capable of it. But still, I’ve never stopped wanting there to be righteous retribution against Iran’s mad mullahs. They attacked America on American territory when they took our embassy personnel hostage in 1979, and they’ve been killing Americans wherever they can ever since.
One of the dubious lessons learned from World War II was that we must always rebuild what we destroy in war. In that spirit, Colin Powell famously told President George W. Bush regarding the Iraq War debacle, “If you break it, you own it.”
Donald Trump has put that idea to rest. We broke it (Iran’s nuclear program) and Israel has destroyed Iran’s war fighting capabilities. And now we’re done fighting. What Iran does now is not our problem, unless/until we have to break it again sometime in the future.
With all that said, there are plenty of reasons why the mainstream American right has become so anti-war in recent years. The awful loss of young Americans’ lives in service to other countries interests - but not America’s interests - is paramount. But it is also the realization that the war-pushers have a deep reserve of ashamed-to-be-American guilt that motivates them. There is an inherent contradiction in how they go about waging war. Quite simply, they rush into foreign wars, but then refuse to fight for victory, because they believe:
1) The United State has a moral obligation to fight other countries’ wars because of our power, wealth, etc.
2) It is culturally offensive for the United States to inflict what is necessary to actually win a foreign war.
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